The invention relates to a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine consisting of a casting including a cooling water space, which is delimited by bottom top and side walls and through which inlet passages extend from one side wall to combustion chambers for the cylinders of the engine and from the combustion chamber to the opposite side wall and which includes tubular columns which extend from the top wall along the cylinder head side walls and between which transverse walls are disposed.
DE A 35 13 126 discloses a cylinder head wherein reinforcement walls extend between the cylinder head bottom and the cylinder head top and are joined to tubular columns for receiving cylinder head bolts.
DE 197 13 246 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,331) discloses a cylinder head, wherein a predetermined distribution of the cylinder head bolt forces and of the engagement forces of the cylinder head with the engine block especially over the circumference of each combustion chamber is obtained. In the arrangement described, the reinforcement walls extend between adjacent bolt columns along the circumference of each combustion chamber. In the longitudinal and the transverse direction of the cylinder head and adjacent the bolt columns the reinforcement walls are recessed so as to be spaced from the cylinder head bottom wall.
Since also the bolt columns do not extend fully to the cylinder head bottom wall, the bolt forces are distributed mainly to the longitudinal and transverse walls around the combustion chambers, whereby an optimal engagement of the cylinder head with the engine block along the circumference of each combustion chamber is achieved.
Furthermore, the side edges of the inner transverse walls may be inclined inwardly toward the cylinder head in order to improve the engagement of the cylinder head bottom wall with the engine block between adjacent combustion chambers. The length of bolt columns may be 2/3 of the distance between the bottom and the top of the cylinder head so that the cylinder head bolts are partially exposed to the cooling water of the engine.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a cylinder head for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, wherein uniform engagement of the cylinder head with the engine block is achieved and, furthermore, the cylinder head bolts are protected from contact with the cooling water. In this respect, the arrangement as proposed in the earlier DE 197 13 246 for the side walls and the transverse walls is to be maintained to provide the desired force transmission.